INSIGHTs & INTUITION

Reviewing the past year, what is something you’re most pleased with that your company or team accomplished in 2020?

Steven L Eberle, PE Vice President / COO Ackerman-Estvold Minot, N.D.

As many in our country have found, 2020 has been a year of unprecedented change. Amid a nationwide pandemic, a substantial economic downturn, and a rapidly changing business environment, our firm has continued to find stability. Although we have endured the same hurdles as many, we have remained fluid with adjustments to our practice. This has allowed our people the same stability with continued benefits, secure employment, the ability to provide for their families and themselves, and yet have the opportunity to work professionally at a high level. Many in the firm have had success in expanded roles within the organization during this time adding new skill sets to their knowledge bank. We are proud of our people for their steadfast commitment to our clients throughout 2020, which has been anything but typical. Our people have changed the way they approach projects, interact with clients, and manage budgets. Our people’s tenacity has truly become the real success of 2020. Without the commitment and buy-in of everyone in the organization, we would not have the ability to be fluid and adaptive to the changes we have experienced in 2020.

We’ve been so pleased and awed by how nimbly and thoroughly our teams have adapted to the rapidly changing conditions this year has presented. The investments we’ve been making in technology have really allowed our work-from-home transitions for office employees to be virtually seamless. At the same time, our field has truly led change, creating and enforcing a host of new Covid safety protocols on job sites and thinking creatively to address client needs.

Kraus-Anderson gets involved in the very early stages of project planning for schools, government, healthcare and other clients, and we’ve continued to provide value as we help them evaluate existing conditions, consider options and prioritize needs. Plans for a few larger commercial projects for now are paused, but our backlog of work aggressively continues to move forward. In addition, our teams are being tasked with retrofitting workplace and other built environments to better accommodate distancing, handsfree surfaces and other safety protocols.

While no one would have asked for these challenges, we truly believe we will emerge stronger coming out of the pandemic.